STS-44 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, crew insignia

STS-44 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, crew insignia (logo), the official insignia of the NASA STS-44 mission, shows OV-104 ascending to Earth orbit to expand mankind's knowledge. The patch illustrated by the symbolic red, white and blue of the American flag represents the American contribution and strength derived from this mission. The black background of space, indicative of the mysteries of the universe, is illuminated by six large stars, which depict the American crew of six and the hopes that travel with them. The smaller stars represent Americans who work in support of this mission. Within the Shuttle's payload bay (PLB) is a Defense Support Program (DSP) Satellite which will help insure peace. In the words of a crew spokesman, ''the stars of the flag symbolize our leadership in an exciting quest of space and the boundless dreams for humanity's future.'' The names of the STS-44 flight crewmembers are located around the border of the patch. Each crewmember contributed to the design of the insignia.
NASA Identifier: s44-s-001